Sarah Schmelzel and Albane Valenzuela have jumped to the third-round lead at the Dow Championship, hosted at Midland Country Club. They each find themselves in a good position to claim their first LPGA Tour victories. That’s why Campbell and Taylor fired an incredible 2-under 68 in alternate-shot play. Their chemistry both on and off the course carried them into a three-round total of 13-under 197 as they started the final round.
The pair started strong with an alternate-shot score of 68 on Thursday, followed by a remarkable best-ball score of 61 on Friday. Their strong play featured four birdies and two bogeys on Saturday’s afternoon round. What stood out most was the way Schmelzel and Valenzuela each made par on the last seven holes, staying calm and collected with the pressure mounting.
Schmelzel agreed with her, making note of their mindset in the locker room and all week long.
“I feel like we had a really good day.”
As the tournament heats up, they realize a great opportunity to win their first championship. The highly coveted LPGA Tour is well within their grasp!
“I feel like we had really good attitudes throughout the entire day. I think both of us took every single shot as it came.”
Lexi Thompson and Megan Kang are just a stroke back. They’re one ahead of Rio Takeda and Miyu Yamashita, who are both 10 under. Both Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire tied for fourth place at 11 under. They ended their rounds in spectacular fashion by birdieing the last two holes, with Pease shooting 72. Lauren Hartlage, Brooke Matthews, and Sung Hyun Park–Ina Yoon are all three currently tied for this spot. Jin Hee Im, Somi Lee, Manon De Roey, and Pauline Roussin-Bouchard are right behind her at just one stroke back.
As the field players prepare for the last-class scramble both on and off the green, all eyes are on Schmelzel and Valenzuela. Will they be able to hold on to their advantage and win the Dow Championship in a triumphant finish?
Reflecting on the competition, Leona Maguire noted,
“Just try and go low and try and post a number early and see what happens.”
As the players prepare for the final round, all eyes will be on Schmelzel and Valenzuela to see if they can capitalize on their lead and claim victory in the Dow Championship.
Leave a Reply